Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is famous for all the things he can do on the basketball court. With the ball in his hands, he can shoot it, he can pass it and he can put it on the floor. But too much of a good thing from one source can be detrimental to the whole. Case in point, with Nowitzki down for six to eight weeks because of preseason surgery on his right knee, the versatile big won’t be there to provide the do-everything play Dallas has come to depend on.

Since Nowitzki joined the Mavericks, they have never had to ward off tough Western Conference foes without him. He had played in every season opener of his 14-year career before sitting out the Mavericks’ 99-91 regular season opening win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks, set to play into December without Nowitzki, are in a position they haven’t experienced this side of the 2000 season, and there are several reasons one could point to as evidence that Dallas will sink without its lone anchor on a team with four new starters. How about Nowitzki's 21.6 points and 6.8 rebounds for starters, not to mention his 1.034 points per possession average, according to Synergy Sports.

But the season is not a wash, mostly because the Mavericks' open schedule could serve as a saving grace. Through its first 12 games, Dallas plays eight teams that didn't make the playoffs last season. They don't face an extended stretch of winning franchises until they see a run of Miami, Memphis, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Denver to close out December. Even with Dirk, that's not a list of teams you want to face in succession. In order to stay above water as Dirk recovers, there a few things that must fall in place for Dallas.

Chris Kaman must stay healthy

The Mavericks entered Tuesday contemplating whether or not to start Eddy Curry in Los Angeles. To say that was a less than ideal position to be in would be an understatement. Curry was cut from the San Antonio Spurs roster last Tuesday and was playing for the Mavericks by Friday. He was serviceable as a reserve behind Brandan Wright and Elton Brand, producing seven points and four rebounds in 17 minutes, but nothing Curry can do will match what Chris Kaman was expected to offer at center. Nothing Wright or Brand can do will make up for the sheer size of Kaman.

Nowitzki lauded Kaman as the best offensive big man he’d ever played with, and his skill is needed with Curry, Wright and Brand as the only other options in the paint. Problem is, even if Kaman does return healthy, his past injuries don’t indicate he is capable of staying healthy. It has been eight years since Kaman played a full regular season slate, and that came when he was a rookie. Since then, impressive numbers have been sandwiched between long stints of inactivity because of injury.

This recent back sprain has kept Kaman on the mend since Sept. 29. He has yet to play with contact or scrimmage with teammates. Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle does not expect the big man to be available soon.

“There was a sighting. It was brief,” Carlisle said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “He got through some of the shooting and 5-on-0 work. But he’s not there yet.”

Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo must break through

If relief can’t come from the frontcourt, guards Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo are next in line to buoy the Dallas Mavericks, with Nowitzki out.

Collison and Mayo have both had moments in their careers where they appeared to be on the verge of becoming breakout players. Collison started off as rookie backup to point guard Chris Paul with the New Orleans Hornets, and when Paul went down with a knee injury, Collison put on a run of 19.1 points and 8.3 assists in the last three months of the season. Injuries and a lost battle with George Hill marred two years in Indiana, but on Tuesday, Collison looked like the same player who showed promise two years ago.

Against the new-look Lakers, Collison put up 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and four assists. The points were less important, as Steve Nash, known as a poor defender, guarded Collison all night. His ability to run the offense and make sound decisions while only turning the ball over two times is what Carlisle wanted to see. With Jason Terry and Jason Kidd moving on in the offseason, the Mavericks are in need of a primary ballhandler and they might have found one in Collison.

Off the ball, Mayo returned to where is most comfortable—on the wing, hoisting shots. Mayo has come to be known as a volume scorer. He scored 12 points on 13 attempts Tuesday in an otherwise balanced effort. What was promising about Mayo’s performance is that he didn’t force action, which might be a result of his new starting role. Mayo started his career in Memphis as a scorer with the Grizzlies, before poor defense led to a demotion. That remains a concern in Dallas.

If either Collison or Mayo–or both–can cash in on the promise they’ve shown in flashes, the Mavericks could be in position to make the playoffs, though they are unlikely to put up a fight in the loaded Western Conference, even with Nowitzki and Kaman.